


The Raid

by calcium_rods



Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: How Do I Tag, haha making cub angst go brrr, mentions of vex magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:27:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26336416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calcium_rods/pseuds/calcium_rods
Summary: Life for Iskall and Cub is idyllic in a village where players and villagers live side by side. One night, a group of illagers changes that.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	The Raid

**Author's Note:**

> this isn't too angsty, but there is some fire in the beginning.

The last thing they saw before they left was fire. Glowing flames reached into the night sky, showing how something could get in. They ran, evading the pillagers and fire. Just as the two reached the wall, everything went dark.  
He jolted awake. Another bad dream, it seemed. Cub had been having a lot of those lately-- the illagers raiding the village, driving him and his one friend out, then nothingness. Of course, it wasn’t like he loved the village, but it was the only home he had ever known.  
“Cub! Dude, are you up? We have school,” someone called. Iskall.  
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” He grumbled, rolling out of bed. Cub got ready, unable to shake the dream. Something about it felt more real than the others, but he chose to not dwell on it. After all, assuming the worst usually led to it.  
Blinded by the sunlight, Cub looked for his friend. Iskall bounced, a wide grin on his face. He shifted the bag in his hands, gesturing for Cub to follow him. Cub followed, walking along the weathered path to their school. Life in the village was peaceful… if you were a player. Villagers were usually considered less than players, but then there were people who were part of both…  
“Alright, we’re here,” Iskall finally called, snapping Cub out of his thoughts. He blinked, looking around. Iskall was on the building’s steps, leaning on one of the doors. Cub nodded, walking to class.  
Despite the work being something to take his mind away from the dream, it kept creeping up on him. The vexes fluttering through the sky, the ominous banners fluttering in the wind-- no. He had promised himself to not think about it. Cub looked back down at the paper, scribbling the rest of… whatever he was writing down.  
The rest of the day was the same as the beginning; go to class, take notes, turn in those notes, have the dream return. He waited outside for Iskall, waving at him as he exited. Iskall was kind; the one player who didn’t push him off like the rest of the villagers.  
“I’ll see you later, dude,” he finally said, “and make sure to not drift off into the world of your thoughts. I’d miss you.”  
“Don’t worry, I won’t,” replied Cub with a chuckle. Iskall walked off, and Cub turned to his home. He walked inside, running his fingers over a bookshelf before pulling one out. He lit a lantern and read, listening to the wind outside. The sun slowly set, turning the sky from blue to orange to black.   
Then it happened. Sparks of orange disturbing the sky, a sound in the distance. Cub turned to the window, recognizing the scene from his dream. He slid down the stairs, book still in hand as he searched for Iskall’s home.   
“Iskall! Iskall, we need to go, now,” snapped Cub, shouting at the window. Iskall approached it, looking down at his friend. His eyes were wide, only a boon in his hands. Iskall clambered down the ladder, throwing the door open. “I’ll explain as we go, it’s not safe to stay here. They’re raiding the city.”  
“Who? How did they get in? My dad-”  
“They probably flew some of the vexes over and got them to open the door. Come on!” Cub interrupted, grabbing Iskall’s arm. Cub sprinted as fast as he could, stopping when he reached the wall. They hit a dead end.  
Cub surveyed the area, grumbling as he looked at Iskall. Iskall pulled out a pickaxe, digging into the cobblestone wall as a pillager growled behind them. Their crossbow was loaded, an arrow aimed at Iskall’s head.   
“Not so fast, sucker!” Cub yelled, throwing Iskall through the hole. He took the pickaxe from his hands, throwing the rocks aside as fast as he could. It was as if life was in slow motion as the arrow hit his leg. He ignored it, running through the hole and into the trees. Iskall was ahead of him, stopping dead in his tracks. Cub hesitated to ask what was wrong, assuming the worst.had happened.  
“It’s all gone. They’ll be after us-- those dudes hate villagers. Cub, I…” his voice trailed off. Cub took a deep breath, putting a hand on Iskall’s shoulder. Iskall turned to face him, tears in his eyes and scratches all over his face.  
Cub debated whether to speak or not. On one hand, he could comfort Iskall, but on the other, it could also lead the raiders right to them. He stepped forward, leading Iskall down the hill and next to a small pond. “Alright. I say we live in the woods, go back to the village after a week. They won’t find us here.”  
Iskall smiled, wiping his tears. They stood up, Iskall leaving to collect some berries. Cub moved rocks around to make a shelter, starting a small fire under the leaves. As he expected, a vex landed beside him. He punched it away, realizing the cry it made would just lead the other mobs to find him.  
Several more vex surrounded him, their ghostly whispers filling his head. Cub swung the pickaxe around, but they grabbed him.  
Iskall returned, waving a slingshot and a handful of pebbles.“Hey, down here! Little guys!” He called to them, putting one in. A vex chirped, the rock flying right through him. The cloud of blue lifted Cub, pulling him farther from Iskall. Despite being tired and wanting to just go with them, he thrashed in the vexes’ grasp, falling into the pond.  
Cub swam through the murky water, emerging in the birch forest on the other side. Iskall noticed, fighting off the vex as he jogged around the perimeter of the pond. Both of them weaved through the trees, pushing branches and bushes out of their way before stopping at a clearing. Stumps littered the ground around a portal. Multicolored magic fought inside, some showing a mesa while other colors opted for a jungle. Iskall shook his head and gestured for Cub to walk through.  
They emerged in a mesa, fifteen other players in the area. Cub knew he would fit right into this world, especially if monsters seemed to live among humans.  
But Cub had only delayed his next run-in with the vex.


End file.
